Golden State Warrior forward Jonathan Kuminga has been an important bench piece for a majority of the season. Before an ankle injury left him sidelined for 31 games, he was averaging 16.8 points, five rebounds, and 2.2 assists. However, his production has declined to 12.2 points on 44 percent shooting since his return and Jimmy Butler's arrival.
Ahead of their season-finale, Warrior head coach Steve Kerr warned Kuminga that they weren't going to use the normal rotation in the first quarter because of the important playoff implications if they were to beat the Los Angeles Clippers. He didn't mention there was a chance he wouldn't play at all.
"We've just found a group since Jimmy got here that we're pretty comfortable with... both [Gui Santos] and JK have been really impactful players for us. It doesn't mean they're out of the loop going forward, this is just how this game played out," Kerr said. "I didn't tell him he wasn't going to play cause I wasn't sure if he was going to play or not."
Steve Kerr on why Jonathan Kuminga didn't play today:
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 13, 2025
"We've just found a group since Jimmy got here that we're pretty comfortable with... both [Gui Santos] and JK have been really impactful players for us. It doesn't mean they're out of the loop going forward, this is just how… pic.twitter.com/rl7ay3yfag
Kuminga was supposed to take a leap this year, but he now finds himself out of the rotation. This being the most important game of the regular season, Kerr did not want to disrupt the offensive flow by putting another mid-range shooter on the floor. He preferred having more 3-point shooters around Steph Curry. Kuminga is shooting 30.5 percent this season from beyond the arc.
Going forward, it seems Kuminga will stay in the dark on his minutes.
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What is Jonathan Kuminga's role moving forward?
Kerr's decision not to play Kuminga in the season-finale suggests his role will be situational in the Play-In Tournament and playoffs.
A majority of Kuminga's minutes got cut by Jimmy Butler playing 48 of the possible 53 minutes against the Clippers. Even though Butler is not a great 3-point shooter himself, he's a great defender, one of the best finishers in the league and a playmaker. He is expected to raise his play in the playoffs, as well, as he's done since the 2019-20 season.
If they can win their first play-in game and play the Houston Rockets in the first round, there is a good chance Kuminga will be used quite a bit.
With Kuminga's playstyle mainly focusing on the mid-range and post ups, that is a perfect matchup for him. Houston was the second in opponent 3-pointers attempted per game and 11th in opponent 3-point percentage. Kuminga could thrive in a slow-paced offense where a 2-point shot will be better than a 3-point shot.
However, if they're playing almost any other team, where 3-pointers are needed, Kuminga won't be seeing much playing time. The Warrior offense is designed for Butler to get most of the mid-range shots, and due to his other abilities, he'll be playing heavy minutes. Kuminga would slow it down to the advantage of the opponent instead of Golden State.
Kerr, along with the rest of the Warriors, know there is a shot to win the Western Conference and a potential championship. For that to happen, Kerr is going to have to rely on the lineups that have excelled with Butler and leaving Kuminga as the odd man out.